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The politics of party defection in Nigeria
09. August 2018 at 22:11
The Nigeria political mileage dates back as far back as the historical fact file of the nation anchored greatly on noble ideals and sacrosanct premises. Her politics of defection and cross carpeting prior to her modern day practices hinges greatly on ideological based principles eschewed in nobility and standard best practices. However, the reverse now seems the case with the advent of an unwittingly political construct which invariably places individual whims over service and commitment to the people.
The Nigerian political landscape has continued to spiral round the pendulum swing in a rather unusual harmonics. Since 1999 when the country returned to an absolute civilian dictates, her political transmogrification has since evolved from a point of simple harmonics into a calculative and complicated zigzag oscillatory switch being intended by the political class. Indeed, it has been a wave of events largely orchestrated by their whims and caprices aimed at misleading the citizenry into a circle of deluded quest.

Prior to 1999, political parties was largely predicated on both grounded goals and clear-cut objectives. Her formations were largely based on confirmed ideology and concretize belief system which obviously has certain philosophical trappings. The political structure as it were had the basic recipe needed for both the organizational formation and the building chemistry of any nation. Party politics were played not only by men with highly placed cerebral candor; also, it was operated by foremost nationalist whose interest for a greater Nigeria outweighs personal avarices, whims and caprices.

Even in 1959 when the first set of political parties were staged; with due regard to that formed by foremost nationalist Herbert Macaulay in 1923, the Nigerian political system had men with utmost integrity, honesty, and absolute value. The system as it were understood the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians. It became a system were personality creed and charismatic candor speaks volume to a level at par with mount Olympian.

The politics of defection or basically cross-carpeting has basic standing rules immersed in absolute Magniloquence even though it barely occurred. Even when it occurs in every yellow moon, it was guided with certain principles and premises. The politics of defection didn’t just happen either because an individual wants to masturbate or titivate his over bloated ego. Party defections as it were then, was a well thought through process just like a philosophical thinker. It was a conscious re-awakening of the mind aimed at a positive struggle with a metrics of impact targeted towards the majority. By and large, defections don’t just happen. It takes more than the individuality. Concretize ideas floats a defecting ship as it might seem.

CASE STUDY: Shortly after the election of 1959, none of the three contending parties had the gig of a majority needed to forming a national government. However, after much deliberations, consultations, and brain charged conversations with interested allies, the then NCNC took a bold step aligning self with the NCP. This idea based coalition led to the formation of a national consensus government which produces Nnamdi Azikiwe as the Gov. General and Tafawa Balewa as the prime minister (preceding 1960). This ideological based arrangement held sway on until 1963 when Nigeria became a republic which however, elevated Azikiwe as the president while Tafawa Balewa remained as prime minister. Though, the duo rank at different political spectra, the general goal was aimed at a better Nigeria as intended. This was the simple harmonics of Nigeria politics which clearly explains the defection synergy.

Indeed, this was the good old days when the politics of defection or cross-carpeting had meaning to both the leader and the led. It wasn’t a merry-go-round event where politicians as it is now the case, switches side based on personal greed, kleptomaniac glut as well as bad political malfeasances.
The politics of defection today in Nigeria has lost the psychological and philosophical succor it had when leaders had the political garb of Napoleon Hill as well as the thinking mindset of Plato.
Right now, the Nigerian political system has got all the trappings of a Mephistophelean structure anchored in an uncivilized democratic norm. A total flop of the organ stable as orchestrated by the political class whose ceaseless contest for power outweighs their passion to rightly lead.
The 21st century Nigerian political class switches sides with little or no recourse to responsibility, commonsense, and good tenets. This show of uneven shame continues at the local, state, and sadly the national level.

Unfortunately, this seems to be happening in a nation housing over 180 million persons which by extension pride them the Big Brother role representing Africa to the world.

No more ideals, No more principles, No more values, No more integrity. It can be told for free that an average Nigerian politician lacks basic morality when it comes to party defection or cross carpeting. The politics of defection in Nigeria has greatly lost her thematic rhythm and focus, thereby opening her rear to the wind of ignorance.

Politicians now switches sides just to win elections, thereafter switches back after they must acquire an official position. Sadly, in all of this Shenanigans, the masses to whom they represent at whatever level bears the brunt.

From 1999 to her current dispensation of politics, the process has continued to slide away from the concept of our Nigeria past which obviously represents the dreams of every patriotic citizen of hope and history.

To some school of thought, it will take only the future to eroding this current trend of political gangsterism and absolute party barbarianism. Indeed, if the labor of our heroes past will not go in vain as it now seems, the Nigeria states now, needs men of absolute integrity and highfalutin honesty whom the lust of office does not kill and the spoils of office cannot buy.

Men with ready-made hands to serve other than a possessive, obsessive and clandestine passion to steal, kill, and divide. Men of goodwill whose political greed to play party defections remains a far-cry for her love for country, service, and commitment to God.
Cite This Article As: Dickson Eyinmosan Jnr.. "The politics of party defection in Nigeria." International Youth Journal, 09. August 2018.

Link To Article: https://youth-journal.org/the-politics-of-party-defection-in-nigeria





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